Apparatus for producing plastic-coated sheet material



l Patented Oct. 12,1926.I

l UNiTE-D STATE-s PATENT' oFFlcnf JAMES BOWEN, 0F AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 THE B. F. GOODRICH y(JOLIIEAN'Y, i

0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. .i

PPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PLASTIC-COATED SHEET HATRIAL.

Application'led December 24, 1921. Serial No. 524,629.

. applying the rubber, by tearing one or more threads from the fabric after it has issued from the calender.

The 'general object of my invention is to provide improved apparatus for producing plastic-coated sheet material. A more specie object is to save labor in removing excess rubber from the edges of rubberized fabric. A. further object is to avoid waste of materials.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section of a frictioning calender equipped with a preferred form of my improved trimming attachment.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Fig. l, with parts removed.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation from one end of the calender rolls. showing the work in place and one of the trimming knives in its relation thereto.

F ig, 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fi 2.

Fig. 5 is a plan View of a part of the supporting means for the trimming knife..

Fig. Gis asection on line G 'G of Fig. 2..

Referring Vto the drawings, 10 (Fig. 1), represents generally a ,frictiomng calender 'of usual construction, comprising three rolls 11, 12, 13, arranged in a vertical tier. 14 is a fabric supply roll, on which the fabric 15 is interuound with a liner 1G in case the fabric has been previously coated on one Side, and 17 is aflincr rte-winding roll, over which thc fabric passes, leaving the liner 16 thereon, as the fabric passes to the calender. 18, 19 are `guide rollers -for directing the fabric through the calender, the vlatter being so positioned as tolead the fabric slightly upward as it leaves the calender. 2() is a. fabric rcwvinding roll, 21 is a liner supply roll. and 22 is a linci.'guiding roller for guiding a liner 23 from the liner supply roll to the'fabric rcwinding roll, to be interlstrip, at the deliv'ery side thereof.

wound thereon with the fabric. Any pr`e ferred or suitable mechanism' (not Shown) may be used for driving the fabric re-Winding-roll 20 and braking the fabric supply roll 14, to assure proper tension in the reach of fabric between the two. 24 is the sheet of `rubber which is formed from a bank of rubber 24a and applied to the fabric in the calender, and 25, 25 (Fig. 2) are Ithe marginsI thereof which extend beyond the edges of the fabric and require to be trimmed olf. 25 (Fig. 1), is one of a pair of uides or dams, which may be of the usual orrn, for

preventing the bank of rubber 2 t* "from spreading too far toward the ends o 'thel'caln ender rolls.

My trimming lattachment as here shown comprises a pair of chisel-like knives, one of which is shown clearly at 26 in Fig. 3, said knives being positioned one at each edge of the fabric strip 15 and held, by yielding means presently to be described, in the an le between the calender rolls between which the rubber sheet 24 is applied to the fabric The knives terminate in a transverse cutting edge 27, and are held at an angle to the edges of the fabric strip, as viewed in plan in Fig.

2, their angle being there clearly shown.

Each knlfe 1s slldably seated 1n a sleeve# like holder 28, the latter being provided at its rear end with an open-slotted hinge member 29 (Figs. 5 and 6) seating on the waist of a groovcd collar 30 adjustably secured by a thumb screw 31 upon a horizontal arm 32, the latter being secured to the top of a vertical pivot-pin 33 mounted in a bearing member 34 on the end of a bracket 35 extending from the frame of the calender. The bearing member 34 is formed at its top with an inclined, concentric cam-sur face 3G co-acting with acum roller 37 journaled on the horizontal arm 32 and held down against said cam-surface by a helical compression spring 38 upon the lowerpart of the pivot-pin 33, between the bea-rin member 3i and a nut 39 upon the lower end of .said pivot-pin. Said spring, through the action of the cam surface 36 and the roller 37 is thus adapt-ed to urge the horizontal arm 32 toward the calender rolls, and thus to wedge the knife 2G between the rolls oftheycalender. The knives preferably are tilted upward at their cutting ends, in nontangent relation to the i'oii i2, es shown clearly in Figs. l enel 3, so that the entting edge of the knife 'forms an ongle less' than e right angle with the surface of the roll 12.

lin the operation of the cleviee, the eoliers E are Secured in such positions upon the horizontal arms 32 that when the cutting ends of the knives are at the elges of e isb rie strip of the particular Width to be trimmed the knives will be positioned et an, angie to said edges substantialiy es shown in Fig. 2. As the fabric is drawn through the calender, the springs 38 Wedge the knives into the posterior crevice of the eeleafler vanti the lowest calender roll, 13, in Contact with the lower edge of the knife holds the knife forcibly againstJ the calender roll 12 at approximately the point where the fabric leaves the latter roih this being matie possible, notwithstanding the substantial 'vertical Width of the knife, by reason of the guide relier 19 giving an uiinmid direction to the fabi-io as it leaves the latter roli, causingI it to Contact with the roli lf2 beyond its line of Contact with the roll '13. The upward tilting of the cutting' end of the l-:nii'e @enses it to bear with greater force against the calender roll 1Q, by reason of the tendency of the Work to turn the knife about the erm 32, enti a further advantage such positioning of the knife is that since the cutting eoige oit the knife forms an tingle less then e right angle 'with the roli surface with which it coe-ets, the -loioe oiJ "the cutting aetion is directed tower-Ii 'the roii, and not in d ireetion merely tangent theretm the 'Work' thus passing; the slitting ecltge ebliquely anti being. held the roli by the Cutting action. itseii although the abrie lezwes the roll tangentiaily at 'the cutting point which gives the fabric a greater aree o'i Contact with the side face et the knife, -for positioning the latter, than it Wouhi have the fabric continued in Contact with the roil att-er passing said cutting point, iin-fi promoes the ciean cutting., saw eiieet oi a imite edge disposed obliegnely 'with relation to the tli- Teetion of relative movement oi the Work.

T he oncoming rubber sheet, which is pw gressirely eut by the enti eclge of the 1tzniiie, oonstantiy crowds the latter against the eci'ge of the fabiie strip, eine to the angular position of the knife. T he tendency 'thereby given to the 4knife to ont deeper into the margin oi the robber sheet is iesisteti by the efige oi the iiebric. which slides aisne; in oon tact with the sitle 'face of thelrnife. Thus the cutting @tige of the knife is eutoinativ cally helol in position to out the rubber pie. cisely aiongr the edge of the fabric. The severed margins 25 of rubber are ir from fibrous ineteriai vand continue aroiincl the roll i2 to the. bank ofstoclei into which they are dijfeeteti by the guides 25'.

i :teiirio is avoi by eliminati the nee/et Ay o' trimming the edges there The looi eholders 28 niej; be readily removed 'troni tiieii.' supports ier sharpening or changing the inoi'ves7 which iatter also may readily be slipped fr in their holders.

Details oi construction be inoiliiied Without tieperting from the scope oi my in ventioie, and il do not WholliY lin'it my cieims the specific coi'istructioa shown.

l cieini:

l. lin Combination With eaientier adapte@ to apply e `eoat of rubber to a strip oi iabrie, trimming knife hei/ing a sherpened, bei eied Cutting edge, and means or so hoitliilit said hniiie in trimming relation to the abrie at the fieiivery side of the nip of the calender rolls at which the fabric is coated as to trim excess rnhbei from the edge of the `fabric. by a line oit out precisely 'ibliowingg esiti edge, not'with'standing variations in the Width the fehirie and Without (instortingv the i'ebrie.

f2. in oon'ibinetion with a calender atlapteil to appij a coat oi rubber to e @rip oj ialgaie, e guide for the fabric so no,

tlonecl. es to draw the latter partly around one ogt the calender relis, a knife rrninating in e transverse cutting ege and inea" s for weiflingly hoitiing en: ng enti tknife in e 'posterior crevice of the Caiender.

l'ie eombinetion With calender, guiding; ineens adapted to iioicl sheet materia?. bein eoeteii therein 1n Contact with one oi' the @aient roiis beyond; its line of Contact with afi ieent @slender toil7 e imite, and

n'ieans toi' holdingv salici. iiniie against the firs i ioiied eaientier roii in position to 'tr-iin :ess coating; niet from an ed e et ssii sheet niet `ai in, e are eontaot or li eet materiali, h roii.

4f. lin combination with a. eelentier t inatein ineens atiapteci te iioli coated the n in contest with one oft the r foils beyond .its line oi" con it with Cent ee'iener roii, a lniiie. and ineens 'or lioitiingif llzniii in position to trim ezzeessooeting motorini trom sheet tee iatiers are oi? o with firs: ii1entionetl mii, x.

gie saitl itnie 'being snob. to cause it enti. edge lto be pressed against edge of ses material. by the movement of woiz'lz.

eoinbinetion with a eaientier for rub- 'or tiravifr 'the rubio ing means enge ,oe iliboeri' materiel it is being from t'l'ie eslender by seid first mention "i means, sani knife being pesitioneti posterior 'to the zal entier nip at which the meteiiai rubber izeti etici saiti knife mounte. l n; suele es nerniitit aoeursteiy 'to maint close trimmin varyingwidt terial.

6. In combination with a fabric-coating calender, a trimming device comprising fabric-guiding means ada ted to hold the fabric in contact with one o the calender rolls beyond its line of contact with the adjacent engagement with material of without distorting the ma- ',calender roll, a knife terminating in a transricguiding means adapted to hold the 'of said material by the arm-pivoted to swing verse ,cutting edge, and means for holdin said knife against the approaching side o the. lirs't mentioned calender roll in nontangent relation thereto and at an angle to the edge of the fabric.

7. In combination with a fabric-coating calender, a trimming device comprising, fababrio in contact with one of the calender rolls beyond its line of contact with the adjacent calender roll, a knife terminating ina trans1 verse cutting edge, knife against the roll in non-tan ent relation thereto and at an angle to the e ge of the fabric, and means or Wedging said knife between said calender rolls.

8. In combination with a calender, means for drawing coated sheet material from the calender, a knife, and means for holding said knife in trimming engagement with an edge of said sheet material as the latter passes from the calender, and at such an angle as to be pressed against the edge face movement of the work.

9. In combination with a calender, a trimming device comprising a horizontal arm pivoted to swing from and toward the rolls of said calender, a slidable member mounted on said arm, means for securing said slirlable member in adjusted positions on said arm, and a knife pivotally mounted on said -slidable member and terminating in a transverse cutting edge.

10. In' combination with a calender, a trimming, device com rising a horizontal Ifrom and toward the rolls of said calender, a` slidable member mounted on said arm, means for securing said slidable member in adjusted positions on said arm, a knife-holder pivotally mounted on said slida'ble member, and' a knife seated in said holder and termii'iating in a transverse cutting edge.

l1. In combination with a calender, a trimming device comprising a vertical bearing member formed-with a cam surface, a pin mounted therein, a horizontal arm mounted on said pin, a cam roller journaled on said arm in position to co-act with said cam surface, a spring'- adapted to hold said means for holding said first mentioned calender f against the edge face thereof cali roller in contact with said cam surface, an a minating in a transverse cuttin 12. In apparatus of the scribed, the combination of a set of calender rolls ladapted to form a sheet of rubber from a bank of stock and apply it to a stri of fabric, a knife, means for holding sai knife against one of said calender rolls in position to progressively trim the excess of rubber from the ed es of the fabric as the latter passes from tie calender, and a guide member adapted to return said excess to the bank of stock.

13. Trimming apparatus for rubberized fabric, said apparatus comprising means for longitudinally feeding a strip of said fabric, a knife, means for holding said knife in trimming relation to an edge of the fabric as the latter is so fed, with the cutting edge of the knife disposed, obliquely with relation t0 the fabric, in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the fabric, and with the knife at such an angular position about an axis perpendicular to the fabric as to act with a chisellike effect, and means for preventing the fabric from being crowded from its normal plane by the engagement 0f the Work with the obliquely disposed cutting edge. 14. In combination with a calender for rubberizing material, means for drawing the rubberized material therefrom, a trimming knife,.-and means for holding the knife in position, in the posterior crevice of the calender, to coact with one of the rolls ofthe calenden` to trim excess rubber from the margin of the material,

15. In combination with a calender for rnbberizing material, means for Withdrawing the-. l .rubberized material therefrom, a trimming knife, and' means for holding the knife, in trimmingielation to the material, at substantially theinnermost position at which it is susceptible of being held, in the posterior' crevice of the calender.

16. In a calender for coating fabric'with a sheet of rubber, the combination with a calender roll, of means for trimming the rubber selvage Without removing the edge of the fabric, the

edge. c aracter 'desurface ofthe roll and guided by the edge of the fabric, a carrier for the knife, a support locatedadjacent the roll, and a swivel connection be Ween the carrier and the support.

In witness whereof I have hereunto hand this 21 day of December, 1921.

JAMES E. BOWEN.

set my kmfe mounted on said arm andjt'er- 

